Why did Horry say he only would have four rings if Shaq.....

if anyone knows whether a shaq of today would beat an hakeem of 1995, it would only be robert horry...

personally, i think each would dominate the other on the offensive ends, shaq with his pure power and hakeem with his skillful feet and jukes... i don't see how one could stop the other on defense...

 

Yup, I'm sure the difference between Shaq then and now would be enough to turn a four game sweep into a Magic win in the series. I'm also sure Hakeem Olajuwon had nothing to do with that sweep, and would be so overmatched by the Shaq of today on both ends.

That series had some close games, and the best players rise to the occasion in the fourth quarter. Shaq's statistics from the last eight fourth quarters (against real centers) before the New Jersey series:

3.0 ppg, 19% FG

You can claim injuries all you want, but the dropoff in his numbers from any of the first three quarters (remember, he's "hurt" then too) to the fourth is dramatic. For the Magic to beat the Rockets, they would have to have better fourth quarter execution, and the Shaq of today instead of the Shaq of '95 isn't going to be much of a boost in that area. It might actually be a decline.

Of course, there's always the possibility that Horry was saying that to give Shaq and the LA media what they wanted to hear. This wasn't a Chronicle story, I'm pretty sure...

 

Telling stats, Cat.

I guess he's got himself a new nickname.

The Big Houdini, he disappears in the fourth quarter.

 

And if the Wilt Chamberlain of yester-year was in his prime in 1995, he still wouldn't be able to score on Hakeem, but he'd also have 10x's as many STDs

 

Don't read too much into it...bobby is prolly just on a high after winning it again...he's delirious

but nobody could beat our team that year...case closed.

 

Shaq today isnt even comparable to Shaq of '95. He is so much more dominant now.

 

Shaq and Hakeem would even each other out on the offensive side. On the defensive side they wouldnt be able to stop each other.

But Hakeem is still the better (much better) defensive player who would shut down penetrating guards much better then Shaq is able to. Thats where Hakeem ends up being the better player.

 

I guess the Shaq of today would have stopped Dream, Drexler, Kenny Smith, and Sam Cassell, while at the same time would have made Nick Anderson hit those FTs. Wow, I guess he IS the best player in NBA history! Besides, Shaq actually put up pretty good numbers in that series, the rest of the Magic didn't do anything. Besides, that Rockets team beats this Lakers team in 6. The Kings gave the Lakers a serious run and they don't have the dominant center, dominant #2 go-to guy and championship experience the Rockets had.

 

-If not for the lucky bounce in game 4 on horry's gamewinner, Shaq's point blank brick of a wide open layup would go down as one of the biggest choke jobs in the history of the NBA, right up there with Ewing's brick on the finger roll.

-Shaq is dominating the Era of the NBA with the weakest centers ever. He's not the greatest ever. He's just competing against scrubs like McCullough.

 

While Shaq is a great player, I don't think he is better in his prime than Hakeem was in his. Hakeem was a great great player and he gets overlooked now that his glory days are gone.

 

"-Shaq is dominating the Era of the NBA with the weakest centers ever. He's not the greatest ever. He's just competing against scrubs like McCullough."


The second best center in the League is Vlade......does that not scare or dissapoint anyone?

Not only weak Centers, but for the most part, weak teams.
The second, third, and fourth best teams are the Kings, Spurs, and Mavs.......nothing to brag about.
After that..........it's either average or mediocre.